Rahsaan Roland Kirk fans – this is the winter for you.

He’s one of the most extraordinary musical figures of the last 70 years, a gifted multi-instrumentalist and political animal, a blind man who detested the word ‘jazz’, became one of Charlie Mingus’s most trusted collaborators and yet arguably achieved his greatest fame for playing two saxophones at the same time.

And now Resonance Records (via archive producer Zev Feldman) have released two never-before-heard live recordings of Kirk.

Seek And Listen: Live At The Penthouse and Vibrations In The Village: Live At The Village Gate are both LP and CD sets, beautifully anointed and fascinating audio artefacts befitting an artist of his stature.

Vibrations in the Village is a newly unearthed live set from 1963 featuring bassist Henry Grimes and pianist Horace Parlan. The deluxe package includes detailed notes by Kirk’s biographer John Kruth and widow Dorthaan, plus appreciations by saxophonists James Carter and Chico Freeman, and trombonist Steve Turre. The collection also includes never-before-seen photos and fascinating ephemera including ticket stubs and private correspondence.

Meanwhile Seek And Listen is a live 1967 date recorded in Seattle and capturing Kirk at his inventive peak alongside pianist and longtime accompanist Rahn Burton. This collection is also beautifully presented, with contributions from all of the above.

These releases are not just valuable bits of audio (with decent sound and quality of music veering between good and excellent) but invaluable slices of jazz history, with fascinating insights into Kirk’s life and in-depth information on the Village Gate and Penthouse clubs, both sadly now gone.

If you’re new to Kirk’s music, it’s also a great chance to see what the fuss is about. Check out these two great new releases on the Resonance website.